


Like butterflies

by purplejooong



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Hongjoong draws, Hongjoong is whipped, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Seonghwa it's a star, Soft Kim Hongjoong, Soft Park Seonghwa, Summer Vacation, don't swim at night alone guys, enjoy, it's just me crying over seongjoong once again, litteraly, the author projects a little over hongjoong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:16:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28487436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplejooong/pseuds/purplejooong
Summary: Seonghwa simply nodded while crossing his legs, switching to a more comfortable position. Hongjoong moved a bit closer to him, resting his own elbows on knees and making the other face the now open notebook. The star's slender fingers started flipping the pages and Hongjoong got distracted by the way the galaxy-filled eyes of that guy twinkled while browsing in. If at first sight he was convicted that those eyes just reflected a lot the light of his hair, Hongjoong was now pretty sure they actually held some kind of stardust in it.or(Hongjoong almost drowns after a night swim and gets saved by fallen star Seonghwa)
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 7
Kudos: 62





	Like butterflies

Swimming wasn't Hongjoong's favorite thing to do, but since it was summer and he was on a vacation with his way too boring family, that was the only _fun_ activity that could keep him entertained and busy enough time to regain strength from all the chit-chatting.

He didn't even dare to restrain from a swim when it was almost night and the first shades of purple and red started to appear distant in the sky, making the beach look mellow as sand sparkled with the last rays of sun.

Dragging his not-so-relaxed-by-vacation body through the beach, he stepped inside the warm water leaving his flip flops on the shore, letting the sea wash away tiredness from him while making his way through the gentle waves caressing his skin, brushing him with salt that would annoyingly itch once dried. But he didn't care, it was just him, the sun going down and the water flow guiding him further from the beach.

Even if it wasn't his best thing to do, he liked it. He liked how the vastness of the waters made him feel so small and vulnerable in that big old sea where he bathed, a sea that held so many years of secrets in it. He liked how his head felt light but, that time, it distracted him a little bit too much.

He was laying on the surface supine, eyes closed enjoying the last rays of sun, when waves came to him slowly increasing their strength, making him drink some of the salty water. The sun disappeared for a moment and it touched his face again when Hongjoong quickly rose grasping for air. Water flows lulled him so well that he was, by now, far far away from the familiar beach where he spent the first days of his vacation.

Panic started to fill his whole body as he tried to understand what was the best option in the moment: was it better to start swimming to the shore? To search for the nearest cliff and hang in there, hoping the high tide wouldn't eat him until it was morning? Trying to scream for help and expect for some fishing boat still out there to hear him? He didn't know, he felt his limbs go numb the more he waited and the more he kept thinking about what to do instead of doing something.

Unfortunately – or maybe not – for him, the decision was taken by someone else. Or better speaking, _something_ else.

Panic wasn't the only thing increasing as he waited for an answer: the waves started to rumble menacingly around him, splashing water on his face that was left not a single second dry and was, by now, almost down to sink into the sea with the rest of his body if he didn't thought and act quick.

And he, in fact, didn't.

His arms started to move in the exact moment a bigger wave swept him up, making him disappear in that big old sea that was now holding not only lots of secrets, but also his tired body that didn't fight quickly enough to the power that place held.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Can you hear me?”

Hongjoong squeezed his eyes keeping them close, a distant unknown voice calling him when his brain started to work again. Before he could open them, water rose through his lungs and came out with some coughs, wetting his – by that time – dry salted skin again, trailing down some lines on the sides of his mouth; his lungs hurt by it.

He carefully stood on his elbows and slowly opened his eyes, concentrating on his feet as he blinked to adjust them to the unfamiliar bright font of light on his left side. It illuminated his body and some elements around him pretty good, making him wander with his sight to understand what was going on and where he was.

The latest thing he remembered was a wave twice his size dragging him down, smashing so hard on him that he lost consciousness until the moment he woke up in what seemed to be a cave. Hongjoong could smell the scent of the sea strong and present and the humidity surrounding him was a sign that he could be lying on the ground of a cave by it, probably located at the base of some of the high cliffs he saw while walking around with his cousins.

“Thank God you're alive! I thought the sea brought me another dead body...”

The kind voice – not so far by now – made Hongjoong finally turn his head to met eyes with what was the font of the light twinkling nice on his side. He was blinded for a short moment and his eyes reduced to two tiny cracks, a laugh was heard and the voice spoke again.

“Oh Dear, pardon me. I'm not used to humans. Not breathing ones, at least.”

The light reduced, softening the hard shadows projected behind him on the salt bathed walls. Another pair of blinks and his eyes were finally able to see the guy crouched beside him, one of his hands resting under his chin as he supported his face where a soft smile could be spotted.

“That should work, how are you feeling?”

Hongjoong's eyes got finally comfortable with the light and he started tracing the figure that was taking care of him, if we can say that, in the moment: a long blue dress – made with what seemed to be a mixture of a silky fabric and tulle with golden spots all over that reminded him constellations and stars on a night sky – framed the slender body of the guy, a tiny golden chain belt crossed his waist and twinkled when he rose offering an hand to Hongjoong, who held it hesitant while he studied him. The skin of that boy felt soft against his own hand, smaller than the other that gingerly squeezed it with long fingers adorned by thin golden rings; silvery strands of hair topped his head, framing his face and...shining. His hair shined of a light that seemed unreal yet so warm and pure that reflected on his own skin, making it glow as it was kissed by starlight. His eyes, round and black, seemed to contain galaxies and solar systems when they laid on Hongjoong's face, making him shut in awe of such beauty being manifested in front of him.

“A fish ate your tongue?”

The guy giggled when Hongjoong briefly shook his head after standing, collecting his thoughts and letting his hand go realizing he was still holding onto it even if he was a hundred percent sure to be able to stand alone. He never saw someone so ethereal in his whole life and he was so confused by him as he never witnessed someone with shining hair too: _what the hell was he looking at?_

“No no, it's just...I was reorganizing my thoughts, sorry for staring.”  
  


The other one shook his head, the silvery locks bounced a bit.

“Don't be sorry. Could you answer my question now?”

“I'm ok, yes, thank you. Where are we? And...how did I get here?”

Being cautious at not letting his attention go off that guy, Hongjoong tried to understand better of his surroundings: he let his ears concentrate on other sounds other than the velvety voice of his interlocutor, catching the waves crashing against the cliff that didn't seem far away at the sound; his eyes also briefly caught the entrance of the cave that wasn't distant from them too, realizing that it was, indeed, evening by now and no light was coming through it. He wondered what time was.

“The sea brought you to me and left you lying on the entrance of what is my house by now” he gestured elegant to the surroundings “It's not the first time happening, but it's for sure the first time the waters make me favor to bring a living body and not a dead one. They probably knew I was feeling alone by now, that's why you're here, if I should take a guess.”

Hongjoong wanted to laugh thinking about the fact that he was there not for a blessing of the sea but because he was too imprudent at letting himself being lulled by the waves. He decided to keep it very tight and just thankfully hum at the other guy for not letting him die on the cliffs. With that being clarified, the question broke out spontaneous.

“May I ask you for your name? And...why do your hair shine like that?”

He ignored asking about the dress and all the accessories: as uncomfortable as it seemed for himself having that kind of outfit in a place like that, everyone was free to wear what they wanted in Hongjoong's philosophy.

The guy smiled, starting to walk toward the entrance revealing his naked feet that made little splat sounds on the wet ground when he moved. Hongjoong followed him, cautious at not slipping.

When they were close enough to the entrance, the silver hair stopped shining bright, shutting down almost completely making them look like they were reflecting the moon's light.

Hongjoong led his eyes to the sky: the moon was a full one and it was breathtaking to watch from there.

“Little human, you may not believe me if I told you so.”

A soft chuckle rose from him making his chest rise a bit too. Hongjoong snorted lightly, then spoke.

  
“Try it, I may believe you. There are not so many humans with shining hair who live in a cave by the sea and save poor little drowning men as a living.”

Another little chuckle and one of the guy's hands reached Hongjoong's cheek, swiping away some salt that was laying on it, making him step back a bit.

  
“I am, my Dear, a fallen star.”

  
“Excuse me?”

Hongjoong eyes went wide, making the star smile at him. _He was a what?_

“Told you you wouldn't believe me. I am a fallen star, I fell some years ago and I am now confined on Earth till my light burns out or till I find a way to go back home” he briefly shrugged, moving his eyes back to Hongjoong after giving the night sky a short look “my name is Seonghwa, nice to meet you..?” the question was left incomplete but it sounded obvious he was reaching for the other boy's name.

“Hongjoong. My name's Hongjoong.”

“Hongjoong...that's a nice name” he briefly said, turning again to the sky. His eyes twinkled even more with the night sky reflected in them. Hongjoong felt again in awe.

Only after that brief conversation, Hongjoong glanced to the right finding that, after a little path between the rocks, he wasn't that far away from the beach his flops where still laying waiting for him. However, the two of them were far enough for not being able being noticed. He also saw some familiar figures starting to spread out from the trail he always traveled to come to the sea from the house his family rented for that vacation. They were definitely his parents searching him around, probably worried of his long ass swim.

At that vision, Hongjoong turned his head again to Seonghwa that was looking right in the same direction and then moved sight to him as he did. He was slightly taller than him, Hongjoong had to shift his head up a bit up to watch him in the eyes.

“You should probably go, they're looking for you. You've been out for almost two hours.”

_Oh shit_ , he thought. His mother would have killed him for that, he didn't take his phone with him for obvious reasons. They must have been worried as fuck by now.

“Yeah, yeah...I should. But...” he hesitated, took a deep breath, then continued “can I come here tomorrow to talk again?”

That guy, _that star_ , planted a seed inside Hongjoong's brain without even knowing it. It was a seed that grew out from curiosity and Hongjoong was ready to water it with it as long as Seonghwa would let him. He wanted to know more about stars, about how they lived, about how they're made, about the sky and their home and he gladly hoped Seonghwa would let him entertain both of them with his never ending will to know. But not that night, time was running short for him.

Seonghwa simply nodded, shooing him away with and hand before turning and going back into his cave, _his house_.

Hongjoong had enough time to smile at him and briefly thank him. He started climbing the rock path and sprinting to the beach, weaving his hands up and screaming to let his parents know he was ok.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

For the rest of the night, Hongjoong kept thinking whether meeting Seonghwa again was actually a good idea. Yes, the star didn't hurt him at all – he saved him, in fact – but who could reassure him that creature wouldn't be ready to slash him open from time to time? That could be dangerous, however, it tingled his insides so well at the end he couldn't keep himself set in place at the thought.

His parents were so worried they almost didn't want him to leave the place alone again, he had to reassure them he would keep his phone from that moment and – especially – wouldn't take another swim at night. The strange absence of cuts or bruises after the “accident” was left unexplained in his brain but helped him convince his parents to let him go.

Wearing a tie-dye shirt and some summer shorts, he climbed over the rocks securing his backpack cautious, walking until he disappeared in the cliffs. It was almost the same time he left the day before, sky starting to turn red again when he stepped inside the cave calling for Seonghwa's name. He didn't get an answer but, since the sun was still coming from outside, he could clearly see the star laying on the ground using what seemed to be a rock as a pillow, sleeping.

Hongjoong slowly reduced the distance between them and tried to not make a sound not wanting to wake him up, he then sat some space away from the sleeping body and waited. Being a star, Seonghwa probably was a night owl more than a morning bird and this was the first thing – maybe second, if we exclude the shining hair – Hongjoong proceeded to write down in his notepad. His hands searched around in the backpack taking out a notepad full of colorful brushstrokes and stickers on the cover, some little drawings and a quote from a random film he liked on the front stood out. He opened it and quickly searched for a blank page between scraps of poems, drawings of any type and doodles; when he found one, he started writing.

The page flipping unwillingly warned Seonghwa, slowly opening his eyes and smiling as soon as he saw Hongjoong. He stayed still catching the smaller one writing down something in the notepad.

“What are you writing about?”

His voice didn't crack a bit from sleep, making him appear as he didn't rest at all. Hongjoong panic-closed his notepad putting it back in the bag, nervously smiling back at Seonghwa that was sitting in front of him now. His legs were gracefully resting on his side and one of his arms supported the whole weight of his body. The silver hair started to shine bright, not bright enough to blind Hongjoong and he mentally thanked the star for it.

“Nothing in particular, I was just keeping myself busy until you woke up. Did you sleep well?”

Seonghwa hummed a “yes” and trailed his fingers to untangle some silver locks. Hongjoong followed his movements: they were so posed and graceful he felt like looking at some random bird dancing in the sky flawlessly.

“I don't really sleep, I was just laying down. We stars don't like the sunlight, it makes us weak at its rays, that's why we _sleep_ in the morning.”

Hongjoong nodded and stirred his arms up, restraining from the instinct of taking out the notepad and writing down that information; he would keep it in his mind for now. Silence filled the cave after their own voices lightly echoed, disappearing. The two of them were just looking at each other and Hongjoong started to feel awkward.

“Uh...so...” before he could finish the sentence, Seonghwa interrupted him.

“I noticed you have an artsy nature, the cover of that little book of yours is filled with colors and you were for sure writing or drawing in it. Can I ask you to show it to me?”

The guy gulped at the request, reminding that there was now a page with random informations about Seonghwa in it but still decided to nod and make a statement before rustling in his backpack again.

“Sure...but I'll keep it in my hands and you'll watch from there if it's ok” like that, he could close the notepad before Seonghwa could witness the misfit.

Seonghwa simply nodded while crossing his legs, switching to a more comfortable position. Hongjoong moved a bit closer to him, resting his own elbows on knees and making the other face the now open notebook. The star's slender fingers started flipping the pages and Hongjoong got distracted by the way the galaxy-filled eyes of that guy twinkled while browsing in. If at first sight he was convicted that those eyes just reflected _a lot_ the light of his hair, Hongjoong was now pretty sure they actually held some kind of stardust in it.

A tap on the book brought him back to reality, making him realize he was blatantly staring while his cheeks went pink. Seonghwa caressed lightly the paper feeling the texture the drawing on it made under his fingers, he smiled soft and rested his hand on the side of the page, brushing one of Hongjoong's.

“This drawing is pretty...”

An orchid filled with a light gray shade of watercolor bloomed on the paper while a little blue butterfly gently rested on it, little green strokes to symbolize the stem and the leaves of the flower were painted in a messier way till the end of the page. Hongjoong drew that – along with all the next pages full of animals or other flowers – after traveling in the countryside with his university group that decided to take a trip and take some photos for their group project based on nature. He thanked his bag full of art supplies that day since it made him quickly capture that flower and that butterfly in his notepad.

He smiled, his cheeks still stayed pink after the compliment which he responded with a little “thank you”.

“It's an orchid, it's hard to find one that grows wild, I just _had_ to.”

Hongjoong shrugged, Seonghwa smiled at him in the softest way and then started reading some of the words written on the side of the drawing.

“ _Life is short but at least we're not butterflies_...what does that mean?”

The poor guy wanted to slam his face against the rock Seonghwa rested for the morning after that. That sentence was a thing one of his friend's said during their trip, he noted it down because it sounded deep and all at the time but now...it was no-sense.

He sighed, then proceeded to close the book after letting Seonghwa's hand slip on his thigh, resting.

“Ah...a friend of mine said that because butterflies live a short life and he compared our lifespan to their, that's just no-sense after all. I don't even remember why did I write it down.”

“It's not no-sense, I can understand why did you write it down. You probably related to the thought, it's a reason valid enough to note it.”

The way Seonghwa smiled made Hongjoong's chest do an unexplainable little flip. He found beauty in every thing that guy did.

A thought crossed his mind and he quickly reached for the phone at the bottom of his backpack while talking.

“Listen, I have a question I wanted to ask to you but I just remembered it now” items in the bag were being tossed in it, he grabbed the phone and started browsing through the internet while putting back in the notepad and a little pouch that slipped out “an important independent agency that studies space, the NASA, recorded the sound constellations do and I wanted to know from you if it's really like that the way you sound...while singing? I don't know...ah! Here it is, just...listen ok?”

He tapped on the play button after opening the NASA website and searching for the right content. A sound that looked like multiple harps and pianos being played together diffused in the cave, echoing to the entrance when it stopped. It didn't last more than seconds and Seonghwa brought an hand to his mouth, his expression contorted in confusion and awe from it.

“Oh...oh dear...so is it like that the way we sound from Earth? Oh...oh no...that's totally wrong. A marvelous example of what science can do, but totally wrong.”

Hongjoong expected Seonghwa to be at least a little clumsy when he rose up from a sitting position like that and yet he still looked flawless and graceful just standing up. He blamed it on the magic stars held.

Seonghwa gestured the other guy to stand up – and so he did – then cleared his throat and stretched the fabric of the dress that became wrinkly after sitting. A brief moment and he spoke up.

“I'll let you listen to what stars sound like when they sing if you'll let me.”

Hongjoong obviously was dying to listen him sing and become the first person alive who knew how a star _really_ sounded like, but he'd never tip a won over the fact that Seonghwa would willingly do it without being asked.

He nodded at him, stepping back a little to be able to observe him sing and give him some space. Seonghwa cleared his throat once again and Hongjoong was captured. His velvety voice filled his ears and bounced on the walls of the cave, it felt like listening to a choral singing in a big cathedral. He sounded unreal, almost healing, and the wordless melody he was singing could be mistaken by the call of a siren coming it – almost – from the sea.

Hongjoong was left speechless and not a single word he could find was able to define what he just witnessed, so he decided to slowly clap as his lips parted amazed by his performance. Be it magic, be it skills, the chant of that man was delightful.

Seonghwa bowed with an hand on his chest, the other harm extending on his side like gentlemen from the past did after a dance, looking at Hongjoong between his locks caressing the forehead.

“That was...definitely better than the NASA's recordings. Oh boy.”

“I'd love to let you listen to two friends of mine. Listening to them sing was one of my favorite activities.”

Hongjoong's expression saddened a little hearing a melancholic note in his words. They stayed silent for some seconds after and it gave Hongjoong enough time to think about how lonely that guy must have been feeling in that cave, alone. A little sigh escaped his mouth as he put his phone in one of the pockets of his shorts: he couldn't imagine a life without any friend, the thought made him sad.

“Do you miss them?”

“A little, but I'm pretty sure they're trying to find a way to bring me back again. I trust them.”

Seonghwa was speaking with a low tone, his hands reached for a piece of fabric under them and squeezed it.

“Do you wanna talk about them? Or...do you wanna talk in general?”

Hongjoong didn't need a degree to know how talking about something could make someone feel better and he was a great listener. A smile painted his face as he asked the star, a warm comforting smile that infused Seonghwa with ease when he smiled back and nodded.

They spent the last minutes talking about the star's friend and Hongjoong could feel his sadness drift away word after word.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“So Yeosang loves to paint too, huh?”

The vacation was coming to an end and every night Hongjoong spent his time with Seonghwa. It was the last day of it and he decided to stay out just a little bit more than yesterdays, he wanted to enjoy his last hours with Seonghwa at his best. The two of them became close pretty easily, finding similarities and differences that completed their characters so well like puzzle pieces.

Hongjoong discovered a lot about stars and skies, about galaxies and planets and he had everything noted down in his trusted notepad along with drawings of Seonghwa. His face, his dress, his hair: Hongjoong had drew them all. He couldn't remember which time he really started portraying him but he got lost in the details he slowly kept adding to the drawings.

At first, they were just rough sketches far away looking like Seonghwa, but as time passed they became day by day the perfect portrait. He found himself staring and studying how his nose curved under the light of the moon, how his hair perfectly illuminated and reflected in his eyes, how his lips were plump and soft at sight.

He wondered much if they felt soft as they looked.

Seonghwa gave a low hum at Hongjoong's question. He was resting with his head on Hongjoong's back, facing the outside of the cave while the other one was crouched on a sketchbook he brought along that day and was using different tools to trace lines and shades. He asked Seonghwa to not look, being it a surprise for him.

“He does. He keeps saying he doesn't really like how his art looks like but he's just too harsh with himself.”

Another thing that Hongjoong noticed in what was almost a month was that Seonghwa's tone and way of speaking molded in a friendlier and simpler one, softening his elegant appearance. He still acted and looked like a little prince, but a clumsier little prince.

“It's normal, any artist constantly criticizes themselves for their works. It's how art his, painful as beautiful it looks.”

Hongjoong's hand traced some quick lines while talking, the scratching sound of graphite against the paper accompanied their talk. After that he let the pencil roll against his side and bent his head on Seonghwa's shoulder, the silver hair brushed his sharp nose when he did. The star responded turning his head, facing Hongjoong at only some centimeters, making him blush.

“It's finished, stand up and I'll show you.”

Seonghwa tried to peek over the guy's shoulder but the drawing was pressed against his chest when he did. He smiled letting Hongjoong stand up first, then he followed and turned to face him again.

Hongjoong bounced on his foots and scratched his neck with a hand, looking a bit nervous for the judgment and the reaction.

“Since tomorrow I'll return home...I wanted to let you have something that could make you remember about me. Ah- don't get me wrong, I just...thought it was cute? Nice? To have something that could bring you good memories when you're alone..?”

He slightly mumbled, next he extended the hand holding the drawing to him waiting for a response.

Seonghwa took some moments to analyze the picture before speaking: it was a portrait of him, crouched near the rocks with his hair shining and reflecting on the water below while the night sky was painted all over him and his dress. A little detail caught his attention and it was the little bright blue butterfly resting on his shoulder. Lots of materials where used in that piece and Hongjoong didn't care of his expensive blue watercolor running out in the process, he simply wanted Seonghwa to have something that made him happy.

The star parted his lips in wonder, covering them with an hand. He almost felt like crying, it was the first time someone – other than Yeosang – drew him that beautiful, that drawing made him feel at home somehow and he wanted to thank Hongjoong in the same way stars thanked each other.

He brought the drawing to his chest, gingerly pressing it against it careful at not applying much pressure to keep the paper straight.

“Hongjoong that's just...beautiful. I love it, thank you so so much.”

Hongjoong felt his chest warm seeing the star so happy and so emotional at him, it made him smile wide enough for his eyes to become two little cracks.

“Let me thank you the way stars thank each other, can I?”

His face was puzzled and curious at the question: did stars have a different way of thanking each other? If they had, he wanted to know what it was for sure, so he nodded and watched Seonghwa step near him, letting an hand reach for his cheek, cupping it.

He froze in place but the circular movements Seonghwa's thumb did on his skin made him relax enough to welcome the slow way their distance shortened until their faces where so near he could feel their breaths mix. They exchanged a gaze, Seonghwa searched another time for consent. Hongjoong nodded after staying still for some seconds and their lips touched. It was a soft, pure kiss, lips just brushing against each other with no malice in it.

Hongjoong closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the moment. He enjoyed it much enough to let his lips part, placing a little brush of his tongue against those plumpy lips that tasted sugary. Seonghwa giggled at it and decided to let go too, opening his mouth welcoming the soft muscle in it tasting Hongjoong and letting him do the same. Hongjoong aimed with an hand at Seonghwa's neck, resting it there tenderly brushing the base of his locks with fingertips. The kiss lasted short, but seemed a lifetime to both of them.

When they finally pulled away, both of their breaths runt short and, this time, was Hongjoong who giggled resting his cheek in Seonghwa's hand not daring to open his eyes.

“You taste sweet, like sugar.”

Seonghwa smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“It's the stardust.”

They stayed like that for a few moments before Hongjoong had to return back. It was hard to let go, but they still did.

Hongjoong never thought, once in his entire life, he would be able to met someone like Seonghwa and neither did Seonghwa. He'd never thought about meeting a supernatural being, a creature he had find only in fantasy books and popular stories. He thought his life was too short for something like that to happen.

But well.

Life is short and, at least, they weren't butterflies.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you for reading my first english oneshot!  
> Yes, it's the first time for me writing something this long in english and I don't really know how it turned out ahah, so let me know! I did it just for fun but I'll try to be more serious if it happens again zzz  
> Hope you enjoyed it or at least it entratained you a little!  
> Bye bye ⭐


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